Women's Soccer Can't Hold Early Lead in 2-2 Draw with Roberts Wesleyan

Madison Finlay scores team leading fourth goal of season

RINDGE, N.H. (October 14, 2013) – The Franklin Pierce University women’s soccer team scored the first two goals of Monday’s game, but Roberts Wesleyan struck a pair of its own in a three-minute span late in regulation to force a 2-2 tie at Sodexo Field in Rindge.  The Ravens moved to 4-5-3 overall, while the Redhawks moved to 7-3-1.

Roberts Wesleyan’s surge came in the 69^th and 72^nd minutes to knot the score at 2-all. Brittany Foster struck home her team-leading eighth goal of the season on a penalty kick attempt at 68:48 following a Franklin Pierce foul deep in the box.

Bella Mitrevski scored the equalizer at 71:53 when she took a pass from Ellie Swan in the Franklin Pierce box, and chipped in a shot to the lower right corner of the net.

The two tallies were part of the Redhawks’ 9-8 advantage in shots in the second half after the Ravens had owned a commanding 12-3 edge in attempts in the opening 45 minutes.

Both teams had a pair of attempts in the second overtime, but could not come up with the winning marker. Freshman Makayla Medeiros (Attleboro, Mass.) had a header re-direct early in the second extra session, but the attempt just went wide left.

Roberts Wesleyan also had an attempt off a corner kick try midway through the frame, but once again the ball could not land on the foot of a Redhawk striker, thus thwarting a legitimate scoring opportunity.

Marissa Sell stopped nine shots for Roberts Wesleyan, while rookie Kimberly Antunes (Brockton, Mass.) made her first career start in net for Franklin Pierce and was just as solid making four saves, including a leaping attempt in the first half to keep the Ravens on top 1-0.

Freshman Madison Finlay (Plymouth, Mass.) gave Franklin Pierce that early goal in the 10^th minute when she headed in a crossing pass from in front of the net off a nice feed from sophomore Fernanda Marques (Sao Paulo, Brazil), who picked up an assist on the play. The goal was Finlay’s team-leading fourth of the season.

Sophomore Nichole Donovan (Abington, Mass.) made it 2-0 Ravens in the 59^th minute when she used her head to deflect in a previous header attempt from Gabriela Vieira (Sao Paulo, Brazil). It was Donovan’s first goal of her collegiate career.

The Ravens ultimately held a 24-14 lead in shots, including getting seven from Finlay. Donovan added four attempts, while freshman Nicole Chaet (Tewksbury, Mass.) and Marques had three shots apiece. Mitrevski had five chances for the Redhawks.

Franklin Pierce returns to action Wednesday when the Ravens play host to Saint Anselm at 4 p.m. on Sodexo Field in Rindge.

For more information on Franklin Pierce women’s soccer, please visit the team’s page at http://athletics.franklinpierce.edu(.) To follow the program even further, please visit Franklin Pierce Athletics on YouTube (www.youtube.com/FranklinPierceSports), Twitter (www.twitter.com/FPUathletics) and Facebook (www.facebook.com/FranklinPierceRavens). Fans wishing to purchase Franklin Pierce women’s soccer apparel can do so on the athletic department’s online store at athletics.franklinpierce.edu/store(.)